AUGUST 13, 2007

Oakland County's first SUPER!Center opened today and provides customers with the added convenience of Saturday hours and more services offered locally, Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land announced.

The former Central Oakland County PLUS Office at 1608 N. Perry St. in Pontiac has been upgraded to a SUPER!Center. It now offers exciting new services such as Saturday hours from 9 a.m. to noon and will soon offer the certification of documents for use in other countries-an especially convenient feature for families seeking foreign adoptions.

"Today's customers expect greater flexibility for their busy schedules, which is why I'm excited to bring Saturday morning hours to Oakland County," Land said. "Our branch modernization plan has focused on providing more services closer to our customers while increasing the convenience of accessing them. Our SUPER!Centers, like this new one in Pontiac, help us achieve our goal of enhancing customer service."

Additionally, customers now can take mechanic tests and have access to specialists trained in assessing drivers and reviewing what identification documents are needed to obtain a driver's license or state-issued ID card. Auto dealers also have a special area to receive service, helping shorten the wait time for other customers.

As a former PLUS office, the Pontiac location already offers customers expanded hours on Wednesdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., payment with a Discover credit card at the counter and a Self-Service Station that allows license plate tab renewal 24 hours a day.

Creation of the SUPER!Center is part of the 2007 phase of Land's Branch Office Modernization Program. The goal is to provide customers with state-of-the-art services while containing expenditures. The program's emphasis on investing in people and services, and not "bricks and mortar," has allowed the Department of State to minimize costs by using existing facilities and materials whenever possible as well as preserve employee jobs.

The program was launched in April 2004 and has resulted in the development of six SUPER!Centers and 31 PLUS offices open or soon to open. Customer satisfaction has consistently been high thanks to the modern, convenient services these offices provide. Other SUPER!Centers are located in Clinton Township, Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids and Livonia. Oakland County currently has one PLUS office, located at 31164 Beck Road in Novi, and is scheduled to receive three additional PLUS offices by the end of 2008.

For more information about branch office locations and services, visit the Branch Office Locator at www.Michigan.gov/sos.